Hello! It's been a while...
I've been so busy lately that I kept forgetting to write this post, even though this was all almost two weeks ago!
Anyways... The memories are still fresh, so here's a quick recap of what my family and I did in Gyeonggi-do.
First of all, it was Children's day. Meaning no school for kids. So Children's day = no school for kids = everyone is tooting away for hours on the freeway, trying to get to their fun destinations. We, unfortunately, were stuck smack in the middle of this snaking line, which meant we didn't even get close to Gyeonggi until about three hours later *gasp* (it was a looong ride).
So finally, we got to our first stop- Jade Garden. Which, by the way, is nothing like you would expect from the name.
Jade Garden is a fairytale-like "forest" and easy hiking trails for families with kids. Though not as "natural" as the name suggests, I would say there's something for everyone there. There are cute little sticks-and-trees mazes for the kids, long hike trails with little streams and bridges for the grandparents, a cafe at the entrance, lots of photo-ops for the parents to take cute photos of kids, and even some singing rocks (who is that for? I haven't got a clue). Yep, singing rocks. Styrofoam "rocks" with speakers in them scattered around the trails to sing nursery rhymes and fairy tale songs.
As a sidenote, for some reason, there were tons of these strange inchworm/caterpillar things hanging from trees and scaring the heck out of people. It was actually quite hilarious until I almost walked right into one myself.
What in the world are these worms doing?
Beautiful view on the way down
Very beautiful, I have to admit, despite feeling a bit artificial at some points (need I mention the singing rocks again?). I would say if you have kids, especially little girls who love fairy tales, this is the perfect place for them to romp around and explore, with great family photo opportunities and beautiful scenery.
One of my favorite parts of the trail- despite the scary number of huge bees (hornets?!)
After an hour of wandering the Jade Garden, we decided it was time for some lunch. So, we headed out to a nearby restaurant (which I cannot recall the name of, ugh!), where everyone decided to try the food Gyeonggi is famous for- ddeokgalbi (short ribs). Meanwhile, I, being vegan, opted for the potato pancake, a Korean pancake made purely from potato, and bibim guksu, cold noodles and some veggies mixed with spicy sauce and kimchi. It was so good, especially seeing how hot it was that day!
Bibim guksu! I ended up giving the egg to my mom, haha.
After lunch, we had originally planned to go ride rail bikes. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned... The rail bikes were on a schedule that we'd been unaware of. Which meant either we could hang out at the rocky river nearby to kill an hour before the upcoming session, or ditch the whole idea and just go somewhere else.
"We are not quitters!"
We really tried to wait. We really did. We had the kids splash around a bit in the water and skipped rocks. We sat on some pointy rocks that dug into our butts and stood on the hill, watching everyone else there, who were presumably also waiting for the rail bikes. We chatted quietly and took some nice photos.. But in the end, we spent twenty minutes (that felt like an hour) there and decided to not waste any more time. We promised the kids rail bikes for another day, packed up our stuff, and peeled away ASAP, all while wondering how those other people were so patient (or perhaps we're impatient, hehe).
An hour later, we arrived at a beautiful café in Gapyeong. It was quite the sight- rustic, homey, and nature-y, with a balcony overlooking mountains and a (manmade, but still pretty) waterfall, an adorable, friendly husky dog mascot hanging out above us, and a gorgeous pension owned by the café next door; I instantly fell in love with Café Terra.
Can you spot the dog?
Ahh, how cute is this face?!
The interior was dimly lit and cozy, with displays of baked goods and an extensive menu of hand-crafted drinks. I got a hot caffé latte, my aunt ordered an iced americano (followed by my grandparents), my mom a hot americano, and a couple glasses of pink lemonade for the kids.
When the drinks came out, my jaw dropped open. I had not only not expected this café to serve their coffees in mugs (yay, good for the environment!), but the last thing I would've predicted was how much effort they put into the presentation and details. And when I say "pretty drinks", I'm not just talking about a cute latte. I'm talking the whole ordeal. Lemon slices in the lemonade. Latte art. Iced Americanos with color layers from being shaken properly.
But presentation is only 50% of the test. Did they pass taste wise?
YES. A Thousand times yes (you probably saw that coming).
This was the best latte I've had, ever. Period. Not sweet, not too bitter, a little tangy, and nicely creamy with foam art that stayed in tact until I reached the bottom of my mug.
Perhaps it was the beautiful nature surrounding me, or the fact that my whole family was smiling and chatting happily, or just leftover euphoria from the day's events, but something just seemed so right about the whole moment. Everything felt happy and bright and delicious.
My aunt went back and also ordered some waffle ice cream. I know I shouldn't have, but I admit to having taken a bite *raises hand in defeat*. But look at this! It was just too beautiful to resist...
The waffle, I admit, was not up to par with what I had in America, if I recall correctly from my non-vegan days. It was a little gummy, but still quite good. The ice cream, you could tell, was not a cheap one. Creamy, rich, decadent, not too sweet, just enough vanilla-y, and flavorful for the entire bite, its texture reminded me a bit of gelato. Topped with banana slices, whipped cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, almond slivers, sprinkles, a dash of cinnamon, it was the perfect treat for the kids (and the adults seemed to enjoy it just as much, if not more ;)).
We spent so long here that by the time we were leaving, it was almost dinnertime. Time flew by, and everyone was smiling and happy as we loaded back into the cars.
Overall, this has been one of my favorite trips I've taken in Korea. We saw such beautiful picture-esque landscapes, ate some yummy, region based food, and hung out at a cafe that is quite possibly the best cafe in all of Korea (can you tell that it was my favorite part of the trip?).
Despite being only a daytrip, I was still in a happy post-vacation daze for a few days following. I definitely will be back, maybe to this cafe, maybe for longer, and maybe have time for those rail bikes... :)
See you next trip!
